“It rained” is not a good start for a story.

When inexperienced writers don’t know how to start their story, they often begin by describing minor details, such as the weather. Why this is not a good idea, I explain in this article.

It was raining. Laura sighed and closed the curtains again. The grey sky out there was not suitable to lift her mood. In the last seven days, it had rained almost continuously for six days. Only yesterday, it had stayed dry for a few hours, but the sun had still not been visible.

I’ve read such beginnings very often, and I wonder why I need to know it was raining. Nothing happens. Laura does nothing, seems to have no intentions, and no goal and seems to be depressed for unknown reasons.

Before the story even starts, it stagnates. A story that begins with stagnation will have a hard time picking up speed at some point and casting a spell over the reader.

But the weather is essential for my story.

Many authors insist that it is the weather that determines what can happen in a scene and what the mood of the characters is. I don’t doubt that.

But then there are a thousand better ways of incorporating this information into the story than in our example.

For example: Laura stared impatiently out of the window. Marc had promised to be on time, and now he was twenty minutes overdue. The meeting with the investors was so damn important. How could that idiot leave her hanging like that? Laura should have known from the beginning that Marc was not the right person to do this deal.

To top it all off, it was raining again. The weather would destroy her hairstyle and her expensive business costume and ruin the crucial first impression the potential financiers got from her.

She sighed and closed the curtains again. A minute later, the bell finally rang. That had to be Marc. Laura took a deep breath and went to the door. At the last second, she thought of taking the umbrella with her.

Here again, we have a scene in which the weather plays an important role. The rain will ruin Laura’s carefully designed look for an important business meeting. On top of that, it’s already much too late.

Unlike in the first example, this scene doesn’t begin with the simple statement, “It rained.” Instead, it immediately becomes clear what Laura wants (go to the meeting) and what obstacles she has to overcome (Rain and Marc coming too late).

Why do many authors start their story with the weather? The Three Main Reasons

1.

Create atmosphere: The intention is usually to create an atmosphere. What could be better suited to create a gloomy mood than to write that it was raining?

Conversely, it is tempting to establish an idyllic setting with reference to bright sunshine. Whether it rains or the sun shines, can have a significant influence on the mood of the main character, no question.

Nevertheless, it is always better to show what the main character’s goals and desires are and what conflict she is in before the weather is pointed out.

In the rarest cases, the weather triggers an action. Much more often, it merely reinforces an underlying mood, and therefore the conflict should always be shown first. The weather can then be given as supplementary information.

2.

Uncertainty:

If one has only little experience, it is incredibly challenging to find an introduction to the story. Getting into the middle of the action, for example, during an argument or in the middle of a fight, requires courage.

The beginner does not want to overwhelm the reader and is afraid to provide too little information. It is tempting to start with the weather because the underlying mood can be sketched, and the first words are quickly written. But the author only does himself a favor here. He loses sight of the reader, on the other hand.

3.

Imitation

Many great works of world literature begin with statements about the weather.

A barometric low hung over the Atlantic, It moved eastwards towards a high-pressure area over Russia […] It was a fine day in August 2013. Robert Musil: The man without qualities.

It was a bright cold day in April […] George Orwell: 1984

Both books are undoubtedly magnificent and epochal. So why are these authors allowed to start with the weather, but I, as a poor little author can’t?

For the same reason that we no longer write our novels in verses today — it’s outdated.

Since Musil and Orwell, there have probably been thousands of books written that are oriented towards the two authors. Well, he starts the book with the description of the weather — then I’ll do the same.

And that’s where the problem lies. Through the eternal repetition of the same stylistic tools, they wear out. Musil and Orwell may have managed to get through with their weather forecast, but today we should proceed differently. Art is developing. Styles are changing. What was en vogue yesterday is often hopelessly outdated today.

Even if some great masters can write gripping beginnings by merely reproducing the weather report, the majority of authors will only be able to produce a tiresome and superfluous first paragraph with the same means.

Conclusion

Whenever you find yourself wanting to start your story by describing the weather, pause, and think again in peace. Ask yourself the following questions:

Can I start with conflict instead? Conflicts and goals advance a story. Condition descriptions don’t do that.

Does my story start too early in the storyline? Can I start the story later, when the events have already started? If so, I don’t need the weather to get the story rolling.

In ninety-nine percent of the cases, the weather doesn’t play a significant role in the story. If it is crucial, it is undoubtedly less important than the central conflict.

So if your novel isn’t about a monster storm or a snow disaster, you shouldn’t describe the weather at the beginning of your book or short story. If you can’t avoid it, mention it on the side, but don’t put it in the center.

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